Social media erupted over the weekend after Qantas CEO, Alan Joyce grounded the entire Qantas fleet in response to the dramatic escalation of industrial action, stranding 68,000 passengers across the globe.

The decision sparked a deluge of criticism and confusion on social media, as parody Twitter accounts including @AlanJoyceCEO sprung up, #qantasfail went viral, and the official Facebook page was overrun with users seeking information and venting their frustration. Admist the Twitter mayhem, frustrated Qantas customers even mistakenly tweeted @alanjoyce - an unsuspecting American university student.

Now that Qantas is back in the air, it’s copping criticism for the way in which it handled its social media response, which is being branded “mechanical” and “impersonal”. One professional even went so far as to say Qantas will “never be the same again”. The issue is that while passengers weighed in on the debacle in the social media arena, Qantas went against the grain of it’s customer service strategy by adopting a one-way communication approach and leaving complaints and questions unanswered.

However, due to the large volume of tweets and Facebook comments, Qantas couldn’t have possibly responded to each and every person. But it seems that customers weren’t looking for a personal response - they simply wanted real-time and useful information, as their concern was the fleet was grounded with no warning and seemingly no communication plan in place.

It looks like stormy skies ahead for Qantas as they begin to navigate the aftermath, as social media crises can cause long-lasting damage to reputation which is hard to gain back once lost. While Qantas faces potential ramifications for the brand and it’s loyal customer base, there’s the added risk of competitors stepping up to the plate, as Virgin Australia has done.

Honestly, where’s John when you need him?
 

So how do you approach social media in a crisis?

• When a crisis strikes, it’s key to communicate early and often as ignoring the issue won’t make it miraculously go away. Be proactive in responding to queries and complaints around the clock; a crisis doesn’t operate on a 9-5 schedule.
• Use social media as a customer service tool. Keep your customers in the loop with honest and transparent information, as withholding crucial facts leaves room for speculation which can do more harm than good. Acknowledge mistakes and note the other side’s concerns.
• Emotion, not logic, is the issue so craft messages around your audience. Help them understand what is happening and what you’re doing to fix it. Also think about how they consume media and deliver your response in multi-media formats.

Want to avoid a crisis? You need a clearly defined social strategy from Vivo Group that states how to engage your audience in the first instance and build loyalty. Then, if you hit a bump in the road, you can rectify the issue with their support. Contact us today to discuss how we can meet your social media needs.

Comments

To leave a comment, please login with your Facebook or Twitter account